Justice and Public Safety

At least 1,400 police departments across the country are using drones in some fashion, but only 15 have obtained waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly their drones beyond the visual line of sight. That is about to change, experts say.

Generative AI tools could potentially create videos for courthouse visitors or rewrite legal documents with accessible language to help people navigate the system. But the tool must be handled carefully.

As a heat wave continues, officials said they are hopeful they have new tools to stop blackouts, including substantial growth in battery storage, increased hydropower thanks to historic winter rains, and more.

The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education approved a $1 million contract to replace X-ray machines currently in elementary and high schools that detect firearms, knives and ammunition in bags and backpacks.

The rise in violent property crimes, auto thefts and traffic violations in the Bay Area city has police looking to surveillance technology for an upper hand. But not everyone is convinced it is worth the privacy tradeoffs.

It’s unclear exactly how many license plate readers are active in the state, though nearly 100 have been purchased by state and local law enforcement to date. The technology has raised fierce debate about privacy.

The Seattle City Council passed a bill Tuesday that would allow the installation of automated speed cameras on certain roads as part of an attempt by the city to prevent illegal street racing.

The county is currently looking into whether data was exposed during a breach of a file transfer system used by a billing provider for its fire and emergency services system.

The city of Long Beach has released a new tool for the police department to help connect at-risk individuals with resources to keep them from becoming unnecessarily involved within the criminal justice system.

Legislative momentum to stop law enforcement from using Google data obtained through so-called geofence warrants stalled as lawmakers struggled to find a way to increase data protection for abortion seekers.

The University of Connecticut will not renew its contract with Navigate 360, formerly known as Social Sentinel, after the social media surveillance company frequently spammed police officers with false alerts.

Baltimore County Police will start using a controversial gunshot detection technology in two southern precincts next week. Opponents have questioned the reliability and accuracy of the technology.

Police dispatchers in Atlanta now have access to a cloud-based tool that provides real-time emergency information, offering visual and audio data that includes caller details and precise location information.

Any sharks lurking just beyond the water’s edge will have to work a little harder to go unnoticed this summer thanks to drone technology. Lifeguards at Jones Beach in New York are using the tech to spot the aquatic predators.

The city’s Surveillance Advisory Board is set to review the police department's gunshot detection system, possibly answering the question of how effective it is in reducing officer response times to potential firearm violence.

The city's Public Safety Committee has voted to support the San Diego Police Department's controversial smart streetlight proposal this week. The technology, complete with license plate readers, was first pitched in March.

San Diego officials on Tuesday gave themselves another three years to review the city’s many surveillance technologies, an extension that should prevent the tools from being put on pause.

North Carolina's third largest school district is installing new video cameras, upgrading existing ones in schools and buses, and expanding the use of high-speed body scanners from high schools to middle schools.